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.TH curl_easy_init 3 "December 04, 2023" "libcurl 8.5.0" "libcurl"

.SH NAME
curl_easy_init - Start a libcurl easy session
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
#include <curl/curl.h>

CURL *curl_easy_init();
.fi
.SH DESCRIPTION
This function allocates and returns a CURL easy handle. Such a handle is used
as input to other functions in the easy interface. This call must have a
corresponding call to \fIcurl_easy_cleanup(3)\fP when the operation is
complete.

The easy handle is used to hold and control a single network transfer. It is
encouraged to reuse easy handles for repeated transfers.

An alternative way to get a new easy handle is to duplicate an already
existing one with \fIcurl_easy_duphandle(3)\fP, which has the upside that it
gets all the options that were set in the source handle set in the new copy as
well.

If you did not already call \fIcurl_global_init(3)\fP before calling this
function, \fIcurl_easy_init(3)\fP does it automatically. This may be lethal in
multi-threaded cases, if \fIcurl_global_init(3)\fP is not thread-safe in your
system, and it may then result in resource problems because there is no
corresponding cleanup.

You are strongly advised to not allow this automatic behavior, by calling
\fIcurl_global_init(3)\fP yourself properly. See the description in
\fBlibcurl\fP(3) of global environment requirements for details of how to use
this function.

.SH EXAMPLE
.nf
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode res;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com");
    res = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
.fi
.SH AVAILABILITY
Always
.SH RETURN VALUE
If this function returns NULL, something went wrong and you cannot use the
other curl functions.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR curl_easy_cleanup (3),
.BR curl_easy_duphandle (3),
.BR curl_easy_perform (3),
.BR curl_easy_reset (3),
.BR curl_global_init (3),
.BR curl_multi_init (3)
